On Tuesday, March 2nd, I walked around Burlington and noticed various phenological changes happening around me.
First, I noticed that the snow and ice on sidewalks and in people’s lawns are melting. This is a result of the warmer temperatures that we have been experiencing recently, and a sign that spring is not far away.
I also spent a lot of time observing different trees and their buds that they formed before winter started. These buds will soon open to reveal the tree’s new leaves. The trees have been saving energy over the winter by protecting these leaves in their buds until the warm spring weather arrives (Winter).
I tried to identify the trees while walking around, but it was difficult to see them up close and get pictures when they were very high off the ground:
I also noticed some cones on a Norway Spruce, and found a lot of cones on the ground along the side of the sidewalk.
I also observed some wildlife activity while I was walking. First, I saw a gray squirrel run across the sidewalk in front of me and climb up a nearby tree. Squirrels have been less active during winter because they collected a large amount of food before the season started, and prefer to stay sheltered and warm in their nests (Hunt 2011). The warmer temperatures have led to the squirrels being more active, indicating that spring is approaching.
I have also been observing many birds such as the American Robin foraging for food. Although some robins stay here year-round, the majority migrate to warmer areas and are coming back to New England around this time. I have seen a lot of them looking for food such as earthworms on the ground in areas where the snow has melted, but they must also feed on berries and other fruits until the snow is completely gone (Holland & Kaneko 2019).
References
Holland, M., & Kaneko, C. (2019). Naturally curious: A Photographic Field Guide and Month-by-Month Journey through the Fields, Woods, and Marshes of New England. Trafalgar Square Books.
Hunt, V. (2011, December 9). What Do Squirrels Do in Winter? Lincoln Park Zoo. https://www.lpzoo.org/what-do-squirrels-do-in-winter/#:~:text=In%20the%20winter%2C%20squirrels%20spend,been%20very%20busy%20caching%20food.
Winter: Cycle of life: Booklet: Forest academy. https://www.theforestacademy.com/cycle-of-life/winter/#.YEVFk2hKg2w.